Chapter 20: Alive

“Good girl.”

Seraphina licked the tear that welled up at the corner of Mili’s eye, then pulled out the soggy breadstick.

She bit her own lip, her eyes blazing with fervent light.

Mili felt a surge of shame and anger, but before this powerful woman, she was as insignificant as an ant, powerless to resist, choking and coughing uncontrollably.

Her stomach churned, any trace of appetite gone.

Seraphina touched her forehead, frowning as she studied her:

“What? Not to your taste?”

“I… I really can’t eat…” Mili sobbed, shaking her head pleadingly.

“Is that so?” Seraphina narrowed her eyes.

At some point, she had pulled a syringe filled with clear liquid from her pocket.

She tilted it under the light, the needle’s cold glint chillingly ominous…

“If you won’t eat willingly, I’ll have to find other ways to nourish you…”

“This is high-concentration glucose. I also have various vitamin compounds.” Her smile turned eerie:

“If you don’t eat properly, I’ll tie you to the bed and keep you alive with these…”

“You won’t go anywhere, maybe just some liquid food to survive…”

She brought the syringe closer to Mili’s face:

“I think it’s fine.”

“What about you?”

Mili’s face grew even paler, her nostrils flaring with fear, tears spilling over at last.

Seeing the girl’s terrified, soul-shaken expression, Seraphina felt an overwhelming thrill, her eyes crinkling with delight.

This sense of absolute control was…

Utterly exquisite.

She loved seeing Mili cornered, forced to submit despite her despair.

“Eat… I’ll eat…” Mili’s trembling hand reached for the mangled bread, but her shaking fingers could barely hold it.

“That’s right.” Seraphina, satisfied, tucked the syringe away, pressed Mili’s hand down, and speared a piece of cut meat with her fork, holding it to the girl’s mouth. “Eat more meat.”

Mili stiffly opened her mouth, forcing down the piece of meat.

After a few bites, her throat tightened, nausea rising.

Each forced swallow brought discomfort, her stomach cramping painfully.

Seeing Mili’s pale face, sweat beading on her forehead, looking ready to vomit, Seraphina finally stopped feeding her and wiped her mouth:

“Alright, that’s enough for today.”

“So useless…” She tsked, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction.

…

As night deepened, the sound of running water filled the bathroom again.

Warm steam filled the small space, creating a hazy atmosphere under the soft white light.

Mili curled up in the corner of the bathtub, like a plucked fledgling, her frail body looking even smaller in the warm water.

Her eyes were tightly shut, trying to detach herself from this suffocating reality.

She could see the marks of humiliation from the day—bruises and bite marks on her arms.

The mottled traces on her skin stood out starkly under the steam, painfully vivid…

Seraphina lounged casually on the tub’s edge, barefoot, wrapped loosely in a silk bathrobe.

The robe’s neckline gaped open, revealing pale skin and delicate collarbones.

She leaned lazily against a cushioned stool, her silver hair damp with steam, clinging to her shoulders, a few strands sticking to her cheeks, lending a rare, seductive charm.

“Don’t be so tense.” Her voice echoed in the misty bathroom, soft yet teasing.

“I’m not going to eat you.”

She raised a soft bath sponge, her gaze lingering with interest on the purple and blue marks crisscrossing Mili’s shoulders.

“Today’s marks are much prettier than last time,” Seraphina said with a husky chuckle, breaking the silence of dripping water.

“Don’t you think, my little Saintess?”

Mili buried her face deeper, her body trembling with shame and fear.

“Come here.” The woman’s voice sharpened.

Mili didn’t move.

“Hm?” Seraphina let out a cold hum, reaching out to seize Mili’s slender arm, ignoring her struggles and dragging her forward.

Water splashed with a loud slosh.

Caught off balance by the sudden pull, Mili scrambled to brace herself on the floor, forced into a humiliating kneeling position by Seraphina’s legs, the cold tiles bruising her palms.

“See? Much better when you’re obedient.” Seraphina’s lips curved in satisfaction.

Her foam-covered fingertips gripped Mili’s nape, and she began scrubbing the girl’s smooth back with the sponge.

Her movements were bolder, more invasive than before.

From neck to waist, her domineering touch claimed every inch, the sponge pressing and rubbing meticulously.

“Your skin’s much better than when you arrived.” Seraphina admired, her fingers circling Mili’s waist dimples.

“Soft as silk.”

Mili clenched her teeth, struggling to endure the humiliating teasing.

“Don’t be so stiff. Relax…” Seraphina leaned closer, her lips near Mili’s ear, her warm breath making the girl shudder.

“I’ll be gentle.”

She nibbled Mili’s earlobe, then trailed down her neck, leaving faint marks along the way.

“Let… go… don’t bite… it hurts…”

“Cry out… I want to hear your voice…”

“You—!”

Seraphina’s fingers teased sensitive skin, relishing each tremble and quiver.

“You’re mine.” Covered in foam, she lifted Mili by the armpits, setting her on her lap.

Her hand gripped Mili’s slender neck, fingers clamping her throat, forcing her face up.

Forehead to forehead, she whispered, “Mine alone.”

Mili’s body shook with pain and shame, tears mixing with water droplets sliding down her cheeks.

Seraphina savored the girl’s trembling, a surge of unprecedented satisfaction filling her.

This total control was sweeter than any victory.

She continued marking Mili, each bite followed by a slow, deliberate lick.

Only when Mili’s shoulders, collarbone, and arms were covered in faint teeth marks did she stop, satisfied.

“Good girl.” Seraphina caressed Mili’s wet cheek, her eyes gleaming with dangerous fascination.

“You’ll get used to it.”

“Used to being cherished by me, protected by me…”

“Used to being mine.”